The Region : Co-Pilot’s Sniffles Cloud Voyager Plans

Voyager, the spindly flying fuel tank whose around-the-world flight has been delayed several times since September, may get off the ground sometime between dawn and 11 a.m. today, project officials said. But, they added, co-pilot Jeana Yeager’s worsening sinus congestion and changes in weather patterns could once again scrub the 12-day, 27,000-mile mission--which could begin and end at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert. Yeager was to be examined by doctors early this morning. In addition to winds in the Mojave Desert, crew members were concerned about storm systems moving over central Africa and Australia. The craft, equipped with 17 fuel tanks stashed in virtually every nook and cranny available, is scheduled to travel mostly in the Southern Hemisphere during the attempt to circle the globe without refueling.